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Unlike some teams in certain years where it’s now-or-never, make or break year, I don’t think the Vikings’ only window was THIS year. The OL was a grease fire at the beginning of the year and it still is. It needs to be addressed, without question.

But most of the key players are inked to deals beyond this year and with a shrewd offseason, they’ll be in the running next year I would think.

Zimmer is widely regarded as one of the best HC in the league, he’s not the problem. He’s not perfect but moving on from Zimmer would be a terrible decision at this point. Re-evaluate Stefanski, for sure, maybe he’s the answer, maybe not.

They’re still not that far away. They had a brutal schedule this year, it wont’ be that bad next year. Other than road games against the Chargers and Chiefs, they have a manageable schedule.

Time for Spielman to be fired. I'd be inclined to give Zimmer one more year, but if not, bring in Mike Shanahan to work with Cousins and hope the defense can remain solid for a couple more seasons. If it works, great. If it doesn't, blow it up when Cousins contract is up.

Unlike some teams in certain years where it’s now-or-never, make or break year, I don’t think the Vikings’ only window was THIS year. The OL was a grease fire at the beginning of the year and it still is. It needs to be addressed, without question.

But most of the key players are inked to deals beyond this year and with a shrewd offseason, they’ll be in the running next year I would think.

Zimmer is widely regarded as one of the best HC in the league, he’s not the problem. He’s not perfect but moving on from Zimmer would be a terrible decision at this point. Re-evaluate Stefanski, for sure, maybe he’s the answer, maybe not.

They’re still not that far away. They had a brutal schedule this year, it wont’ be that bad next year. Other than road games against the Chargers and Chiefs, they have a manageable schedule.

All is not lost. This is far from a rebuild.

Most people don't even remember it, but I think Tony Sparano passing away unexpectedly right as training camp was to open likely had a big impact not only on the O line, but for the rest of the team and the coaching staff as well. That being said, there still needs to be a big upgrade in talent at the O line positions.

The coach looked overmatched. The general manager’s offensive line fluttered like tattered flags in a strong wind. The expensive quarterback barked at the state’s most popular athlete. The owner left the locker room looking grim.

A season that began with Super Bowl expectations ended in vivid frustration on Sunday, when the Minnesota Vikings, needing the slimmest of victories to make the playoffs, instead produced the most timid of losses, one pointing blame directly at the team’s leadership troika.

The coach, Mike Zimmer, didn’t have his team ready to play, evidenced by the Vikings amassing two yards on their first four drives en route to a 24-10 loss.

The GM, Rick Spielman, knew he had to rebuild a faltering offensive line and failed.

The quarterback, Kirk Cousins, signed one of the richest contracts in NFL history and adopted a 14-win team. By the end of the second quarter he was teaching Adam Thielen how to run routes.

The Vikings spent $84 million on a star quarterback and got a mediocre receivers coach.

Cousins is locked in for two more years. If Zygi Wilf wants to change his leadership formula, he’s going to have to fire his coach or general manager, or both.

That might sound drastic, considering the Vikings haven’t posted a losing record since 2014. Zimmer and Spielman know how to build a winning team. But ownership’s stated goal is a Super Bowl title, and Zimmer and Spielman have yet to prove they can build one that can win in January.

The Vikings’ priority this offseason came into focus as the offensive line was outmanned again by the Chicago Bears during Sunday’s season-ending 24-10 loss.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins’ season of duress ended by taking nine hits, including four sacks in critical moments. His response — “I don’t have 10 seconds” to throw — to a frustrated Adam Thielen, as seen on the FOX broadcast, said enough after a third-down incompletion late in the first half. Cousins appeared upset Thielen didn’t break on a corner route sooner, which the quarterback anticipated with a quick throw that fell to the turf.

“Just trying to say if you [double move on the route], I don’t have time to wait on that usually,” Cousins said. “And I don’t know you’re doing that.”

So went the final snaps of a disappointing season marred by lingering questions about the offensive line.

Can the Vikings get more out of left tackle Riley Reiff? Could promising rookie Brian O’Neill take Reiff’s job at left tackle? Will guards Tom Compton, Mike Remmers and Nick Easton be on the roster? Will there be a change at offensive line coach after Clancy Barone transitioned there this summer due to the passing of Tony Sparano?

The Vikings now looking up at the Bears, in part because defensive lineman Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks thoroughly dominated the Vikings’ front in two meetings this season. Hicks led with six tackles for losses, including 2.5 sacks, in the two Bears wins.

Right guard Mike Remmers was no match for Hicks, who breezed past Remmers for a run stop on Dalvin Cook and a third-quarter sack on Cousins.

“I think that we have proved that we are the best team in the division,” Hicks said.

If the Vikings want change, the offensive line needs the front office’s primary focus.

Much of the room can be overhauled by management. Three linemen with starter experience — Compton, Easton and tackle Rashod Hill — are set to become free agents in March. Remmers has three seasons left on a five-year, $30 million deal signed in 2017, but the Vikings can move on at little cost since there is no guaranteed money left.

“I haven’t thought about that at all,” Remmers said. “I love it here. We’ll see what happens.”

Reiff, the group’s highest-paid lineman and team captain, had a down season ending with a fourth-quarter sack by Bears linebacker Isaiah Irving on Sunday. The Vikings might be stuck with Reiff, who turned 30 this month, for next season based on $6.6 million in dead cap space incurred if he’s cut.

The Vikings should keep all options open — including moving O’Neill to left tackle for Reiff — based on the offensive line’s porous play throughout the season.

“This group is not going to lay down and just accept that it happened,” O’Neill said. “It’s going to motivate us to work harder in the offseason to come back bigger, stronger and faster. That’s what I plan to do.”

The OLine was a huge problem this year. Didnít it seem like the for many of the second half of the season games this year they the receivers were no longer getting open though? Today there were quite a few plays where Cousins had time, but maybe there are keeping too many guys in to block and therefore itís easy to defend three recovers?
Or maybe they need another offensive weapon as well in addition to bolstering the OLine.

Most people don't even remember it, but I think Tony Sparano passing away unexpectedly right as training camp was to open likely had a big impact not only on the O line, but for the rest of the team and the coaching staff as well. That being said, there still needs to be a big upgrade in talent at the O line positions.

His impact is probably under-appreciated. But we've all known the O-Line would be a problem since the day after the draft when they failed to address it there or in FA.

I'll generally be the first to say that it's a team game, and the QB needs a decent line and running game to be successful. That said, the knock on Cousins coming in was his awful record against winning teams. I'd say that this contract is his last good chance to break from that past. Problem is, the first year of it has been more of the same. Although it's not unusual to have diminished performance against the better defenses, he looked downright feeble against the Seahawks and Bears, not to mention the Pats. Other, lesser quarterbacks have done better against those teams than Kirk.

I want to believe it's not primarily him and that it's a team failure, but that wouldn't be all that comforting. It means that the Viking are coming out tight or flat in the bigger games, which reflects on the whole operation.

The problem with this season began in the middle of last season when, after winning him 5 or so games in a row at QB, Zimmer apparently still couldnít see straight and refused to put his full trust in Keenum. Then, after the NFC championship game, Mr Right pig-headedly stuck to his guns and lobbied not to keep the guy who saved the season, who helped galvanize the team, helped make superstars out of Thielen and Diggs - all the while, running for his life, half the time. Instead of spending money and picks on about 5 new offensive linemen, Zim convinces Spielman to blow his entire wad on a marginal upgrade at QB - and a guy that obviously doesnít know how to beat decent teams. This guy canít move like CK and the season is fumbled away by good defensive lines running over our below-average o-line.